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Traveling for work doesn't have to take its toll on the planet. To cut down your carbon footprint, stock up on gadgets such as solar chargers, scout out green businesses in advance and be sure to check into a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-certified hotel.

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Greening your home doesn't have to mean spending a fortune on high-tech gadgets and major overhauls, architect George Clarke says. Proper insulation and double-glazing offer easy ways to save money while reducing your footprint, Clarke says, while solar panels are expensive to install but do soon pay for themselves.

Green building is sound business sense, Florida green-building consultant Wendy Landry says. A growing number of Florida companies are finding that Leadership in Energy and Design-certified buildings can save them money while increasing the pride their workers take in their jobs. "If you want to build a good, smart building, making it LEED certified doesn't have to cost more," Landry says. "It's just a return to smart decision making."

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-certified embassies are cropping up around the world as governments seek to make green-building practices part of their environmental diplomacy strategies. The U.S. has three LEED-certified embassies and is pushing to green its other properties, while the Finnish embassy recently became Washington's first LEED-certified embassy building. "Making the embassy ... green is a small and symbolic thing, but it has really caught on," notes one embassy staffer.

Think buying a Prius is the best way to live greener? Or that how far food traveled is the most important factor in its carbon footprint? Think again, writes Duncan Clark, author of the recently published "Rough Guide to Green Living."

Changing what -- and how much -- you buy may be the most important factor in reducing your impact on the planet, argues Joshuah Stolaroff in a new paper from the Product Policy Institute. The stuff Americans accumulate accounts for 44% of all greenhouse gas emissions -- more than cars and homes combined. Buying fewer products, favoring sustainable or recyclable goods, and using less packaging can put a dent in that footprint, Stolaroff suggests.